More myths

[rowland_mowrey]

Ted;

 

Right on the mark for everything including OS/2. I still use it once in a while.

 

IBM executives and EK executives met sometimes, but not to discuss how to 'ruin' products. I have sat in on several myself as a KRL member of the group. (read observer, at that level my input was null)

 

EK did not start the downward spiral of Kodachrome, the buying public did and the key words were CONVENIENCE and QUALITY. Customers liked prints from negatives rather than lugging out the projector, they liked 1 hour minilab service, and they liked a repeatable process. Kodachrome even at its best took several days to return to you processed. US mail has lost several of my rolls that were logged into and out of EK labs, and the Kodachrome process suffers badly when the throughput goes lower than 24/7 operation. There you have it.

 

EK had a 400 speed Kodachrome ready to market, but the sales of the existing Kodachromes went into the toilet even in the face of strong ads for the line. So, the 400 speed Kodachrome and future improvements were cancelled. I have seen some of it, and it would really surprise you as to quality. But, there it is. It was out of the hands of EK and in the hands of the consumer and professional.

 

I have personally discussed this matter with some of the countries top pros, and this is their story as well as being the story from joe consumer. EVERYONE hates lugging out the projector, or waiting for USPS to deliver their slides. This is why EK first came out with a motion picture and slide device that projected images onto TV. It tried to address the first issue. I have used it, but it was very expensive. We used to rotate one amongst our dept. members on a weekly rental basis to test it out. It failed as well even though it was ahead of its time in the early 80s. There was no way to really address the turn-around time.

 

Here is an interesting set of analogies. Our bus, streetcar, and train service has deteriorated largely due to the convenience of the automobile. In my home town of Pittsburgh, streetcars ran into downtown every 7 minutes. The fare was $0.35 and finally $0.50 for the 1 hour ride. Trains ran commuter service about every 20 mins in the AM and PM and the ride of 20 mins cost $1. Today? Hah, fares are high and service is low. They tore up the streetcar tracks and substituted slower bus service, since the streetcars ran on their own right of way part way to downtown.

 

Today, digital photography is killing conventional films, and high gas prices, high car prices, and the cost of maintaining roads may eventually erode the conveninece of the automobile. Who knows?

 

Ron Mowrey

[michael_young3]

So, what about PhotoFlo? I have a gunked up plastic reel that is much more difficult to load than reels that were not similarly abused. My old tank definitely has a gummy residue that is not imaginary or mythical. In my mind, Jobo is a first rate manufacturer, not a "knockoff" or second-rate equipment source. Their product instructions warn that PhotoFlo and stabilizers do not rinse off in plain water, and that the film should be treated off the reel as the final step in processing.

 

In the interest of myth busting, which reels and tanks are immune to residue, and what cleaning regimen shouid I use to prevent buildup?

 

Related, I've heard that new stabilizers no longer contain formaldehyde, and their fumes are not toxic as in previous years. Tetanal, I think, still warns that their stabilizer should not be heated above room temperature, presumably to minimize vapor pressure of whatever bad substance still remains. Is this also a bygone myth?

[rowland_mowrey]

Michael;

 

Alas, some color stabilizers still contain formaldehyde.

 

They use paraformaldehyde, a precursor to formaldehyde, in some cases to be able to 'announce' that they are formalin free. (formalin is the name of the solution of formaldehyde in water). The paraformaldehyde decomposes in water to form formaldehyde.

 

As for the gunk, you can clean it off with hot water. I have been using Jobo plastic reels and stainless reels for over 40 years at home. I have never had gunk on anything, but I always wash the equipment with hot water after the process, and then air dry.

 

Schools report the buildup of gunk on reels, but then the professor or instructor will say that the average student has the problem due to improper cleanup. Some people do have a lot more than others due to water, IMHO. If it builds up, use hot water and an old toothbrush.

 

I have had what I first thought was gunk but was able to trace it to the glue on the ends of 120 and 220 film that hold the tape in place on the paper leader. I found gunk on reels that had been used for 120 and 220 processes only and thought it was photo-flo, but was able to trace it to the glue, as it was only present at the head and tail of 220 and tail of the 120 film, as loaded. Therefore, it was only a 'scare' but not real gunk. This could be some of the observed gunk problems, confusing 120 and 220 film glue with photo-flo gunk. I just know for sure that it does not take place with some people, and does with others, and that I have never had it.

 

Ron Mowrey

[michael_young3]

It makes sense that it's the tape. I'm curious now if you leave the tape on, knowing what you know. I think I still might, because it adds support to the free end. Further thoughts?

[rowland_mowrey]

Michael;

 

Since that incident, I do either one of two things. I try to remove the tape in the dark (yeah, sure I do with fingerprints everywhere and kinks) or I cut off the taped end (thereby sometimes cutting crooked or short ruining the first / last picture on each roll and also causing jams during feed onto the roll).

 

Just kidding. There is really nothing much that can be done about this one. I just look closely at the leading and trailing ends of 220 or the trailing ends of 120 on the reels after processing and remove a small gobbet of goo or gunk that is left from the tape. I find that it happens about 10% or so of the time, and is worse with color than B&W.

 

It is more of a nuisance than a problem.

 

Ron Mowrey

[glenn_thoreson]

I will comment on the PhotoFlo. It can and does make plastic reels hard to load. Bad residue can make them virtually impossible to load. Some reels will warp in hot water, making them unusable. Best way to do it: after your film is washed, just "seesaw" it through PhotoFlo in a small tray. Easy, and no tank/reel problems.Dektol: good for all kinds of stuff. Use 1:3 or less for getting continuous tone negs from Kodalith or other extreme contrast films. Use it with Fine Grain Positive Release film to make B&W slides. A good imagination and a lot of curiosity is the key here. This is supposed to be an enjoyable pursuit, isn't it?

[rowland_mowrey]

My plastic reels, of all sorts, have been used for years for color processing at up to 100 deg F or about 38 deg C. No warping yet, and no gunk.

 

You know that color film stabilizers use photo flo as well as the other ingredients. I rarely hear people complain about gunk from color, its mainly from B&W. Could it be that color cleanup is usually done at a higher temperature, or that hand mixed photo-flo for B&W is usually made up too concentrated? IDK.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Ron Mowrey

[kelly_flanigan1]

The warping of plastic parts later in their life depends on many factors. A crackerjack mold designer; and or program can make a plastic part easy to shoot; quicker in the mold cycle time. If the parts are ejected too quick from the mold; more built in stresses occur in the plastic part just shot/molded. With time and higher temps; that part relaxes; and plastic part warps abit; or alot. A symetrical part may warp less. A weird part; with alot of different thicknesses; cycled too quick from the mold; can be a disaster in the field. Molded in moisture; due to damp pellets; or too much regrind; adds abit of adventure; field failures too. <BR><BR>Sometimes greenhorn cost cutting chaps will reduce mold cycle times; get the big bonus; and become heros; like short term thinking politicians. Then the poor field surface guys live with the radical increased field failures; toiling away at night with paperwork; while the hero drives his new Corvete.<BR><BR>

[rowland_mowrey]

Kelly;

 

I agree. I believe the Jobo reels are good quality, as I have not had any warping in over 20 years of use.

 

Nor gunk.

 

Ron Mowrey